Top Stories

Lloyd, Solo lead USWNT to narrow victory over France

Photo by John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports

The U.S. Women’s National Team needed a goal and, once again, it was Carli Lloyd that emerged to provide when her team needed her most.

Lloyd scored the lone goal of Saturday’s clash with France, leading the USWNT in a 1-0 defeat of the European powerhouse. The win sees the USWNT move to six points through as many games ahead of a group stage-closing clash with Colombia.

After 63 scoreless minutes, the USWNT’s biggest star stepped up. The sequence began with Tobin Heath, who broke free on the left-hand side before rifling a shot off the near post. The rebound fell right to Lloyd, who was left with a simple tap-in for what proved to be the decisive goal.

Throughout the first half and a majority of the second, France’s midfield proved suffocating. Lloyd and co. were left with little room on the ball alongside, as the USWNT midfield dropped way back into their own half. France, meanwhile, created several chances against a USWNT backline playing without centerpiece Julie Johnston.

Just 16 minutes in, Wendie Renard headed a shot that crashed into the crossbar, while Louisa Necib tested goalkeeper Hope Solo with a driven shot several minutes later. In her 200th USWNT appearance, Solo’s best stop came just moments before halftime, as the USWNT goalkeeper stifled Marie-Laure Delie witha  point-blank save in the 42nd minute.

Solo came up big again late, parrying away another Delie effort in the 78th minute. Just moments later, Solo was left all but helpless as Ali Krieger nearly headed home an own goal, but the USWNT was able to exhale as the ball struck the side-netting.

In the end, France would be unable to overcome the heroics of Solo, as the French outshot the USWNT, 14-5 on Saturday. However, the USWNT goalkeeper’s heroics led the USWNT to a 2-0 record ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Colombia. France, meanwhile, remains on three points ahead of a meeting with New Zealand.

Comments

  1. France would be the best team in the world, but they are mental midgets. Until they figure that out, they will always be behind USWNT and Germany.

    Reply
  2. I keep reading and hearing how this is one of the very best USWNT s, even better than the one that won the WC recently. I didn’t get that sense against France. The US looked very shaky and it seemed only a matter of time before France would score.

    There was no midfield play and the defense especially on corners and high balls into the box looked very, very suspect.

    Reply
    • The U.S. would have looked a lot better had Johnston, Rapino & Pugh been available. They will need Rapino to be available for the first knockout round. With such a limited roster size, you can’t afford to bring someone along just to cheer on the sidelines.

      Reply
  3. I’m glad my prediction of a 2-1 France win here was wrong. But statistically, this match ran the same as at the She Believes Cup, with France having a 2-1 advantage in shots, and so did the
    score. If the U.S. plays France again for the Gold, they better have all their top guns ready to
    play. My hope here is that Germany beats Canada. That way Germany will have to play France
    in the first knockout round, so that there will be the possibility that the script here may follow the
    script in the WC, with a burned out Germany facing the U. S. – this time in the finals. IMHO, the
    U.S. matches up better against Germany than it does against France. Anyway, for this to happen,
    Germany will have to beat Canada next week. This is no sure bet after seeing Australia tie the
    Germans. But Germany is the better team, so we will see.

    Reply
  4. There was at least 10 minutes, on two separate occasions, where NBC wasn’t even showing the scoreline.

    As someone casually flipping back and forth I found this to be amateur and a network should know better after acquiring the EPL. NBC’s entire coverage of the entire games thus far has been woeful.

    Reply
  5. I’m glad the NATS won and now will most likely go 3-0 in group play. This was far from convincing though (and, yes, France is a top team). Lots of unmarked headers for France in the late stages and our formation generated mostly uncohesive play (though France had a destroyer D-mid protecting the backline). Solo was WOTM, Lloyd in the right place to put away a rebound. Looking to see the squad to get into rhythm in the final group match.

    Reply
  6. Klingenberg is a very weak player, does not
    defend well and not attack well, jill ellis need
    to find a solution to the left side

    Reply

Leave a Comment